Decline and Ascend
by UnluckyAmulet
Summary: Everybody knows Demeter has no interest in the Rum Tum Tugger. But is it just opposites clashing, or is there something else that rubs her the wrong way? Does Tugger understand more about Demeter then he lets on? Here's his musings on it. Oneshot.


Disclaimer:I do not own Cats.

Another idea that popped into my head when I was writing a different Cats fic. I always wondered why it is that Demeter seems to dislike Tugger, and the reason that he's a show-off didn't seem adequate enough to explain it, so I explored the idea a little deeper. Not exactly a pairing fic, but can be interpreted that way if you like. Rated T for some implied trauma.

Enjoy!

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><p>The other cats have a weird thing when it comes to Demeter.<p>

She's one of us, but sometimes, it's like nobody is 100% sure. The toms walk around her like Demeter's surrounded by this electric current and one wrong move will get them shocked. The kittens try not to bug her too much and Jenny and Jelly always give her these little sidelong glances like they're making sure she's still all in one piece. Munkustrap does it too; I've seen him at it. I mean, as the Tribe's protector, it's his job to be a perfectionist worrier, but with Demeter it's more than that.

It's always more then that with her.

Even Bomba, who isn't exactly a subtle Queen, keeps an eye on Demeter, she's the one who Demeter runs to whenever she gets spooked, and it's not like spooking Demeter is a particularly challenging feat. Being around Bomba means Demeter is safe- the moon to Bomba's sun. Winter to her summer. The sidekick.

I guess the only one who doesn't get The Demeter Rule is me.

The way I see it, Demeter's never going to stop looking over her shoulder every now and then when she hears Macavity's name. Munkustrap knows it, Bomba knows it, and I know it. My brother is the type of guy who likes to leave lasting impressions on others. I'm not saying Demeter's never going to be happy, but happily-ever-after just ain't realistic.

But acting like Demeter's some ticking time bomb waiting to happen isn't going to make her any less twitchy. I don't know exactly what happened to her in the time she was with Macavity, but I'm not an idiot. I know when somebody's been through hell and back, and Macavity isn't nice when it comes to his toys. Even when we were kids, I knew that there was something about him that wasn't right. People figured it was jealousy at the time- Macavity was the one with powers. That's the way we were remembered: Munkustrap was the future protector, I was the irresponsible rogue, and Macavity was dangerous.

But no matter how many of those icy-but-gorgeous glares she sends my way, I'm still going to flirt and tease. It's just what I do. I'm the Tugger, and nobody stops me from being the Tugger, not even my brothers. Munkustrap keeps telling me to leave Demeter alone, giving me that special Big-Brother glare. He wants to protect her, but the truth is, the biggest threat to Demeter besides Macavity...

It's herself.

Maybe Demeter likes it that everybody walks on eggshells around her. Nobody gets too close and nobody asks her any questions that she doesn't want to answer. Everyone in the tribe knows it: You don't push Demeter.

Except me, and she hates me for it.

She hates that I won't let her hide in that dark place inside of Demeter that nobody will follow her to, that I joke and generally act like an idiot, waving my paw over her face when she's doing her Endless Stare at the moon. I'm not saying I don't respect her- I do. You gotta respect the only female in the tribe I can't wind around my little claw even a little bit (even Bomba, even though she won't admit it) but respecting somebody doesn't mean you pretend that you can't see what's staring at you directly in the face. Being too scared to actually treat Demeter like any other cat- doesn't that just mean you're scared of getting to close?

Sometimes, it ain't easy being the tribe's lovable jerk, but hey, SOMEBODY has to do it, and that somebody is me.

Why?

It's simple.

I'm the Tugger.

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><p>As always, a word or two is nice. :D<p> 


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